The pool is excavated and plumbing and steel reinforcing bars are installed.

The pool is excavated and plumbing and steel reinforcing bars are installed.

Photo: Courtesy Gary Pools

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The pool takes shape after gunite, or spray-applied concrete, is set.

The pool takes shape after gunite, or spray-applied concrete, is set.

Photo: Courtesy Gary Pools

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Plaster has been applied to the gunite as the pool near completion.

Plaster has been applied to the gunite as the pool near completion.

Photo: Courtesy Gary Pools

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The finished pool is ready for swimming.

The finished pool is ready for swimming.

Photo: Courtesy Gary Pools

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Heavy equipment is used to begin excavation on a different pool site.

Heavy equipment is used to begin excavation on a different pool site.

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Plumbing is installed after site excavation is completed.

Plumbing is installed after site excavation is completed.

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Steel reinforcement, or rebar, is installed after plumbing is finished.

Steel reinforcement, or rebar, is installed after plumbing is finished.

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A worker shoots gunite, a wet-mix concrete, into the excavated space to form the pool’s base.

A worker shoots gunite, a wet-mix concrete, into the excavated space to form the pool’s base.

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A worker cleans the pool’s gunite shell before plaster is applied.

A worker cleans the pool’s gunite shell before plaster is applied.

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A worker completes tile work beneath the pool’s spa.

A worker completes tile work beneath the pool’s spa.

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Plaster is applied to the porous gunite surface to seal the pool.

Plaster is applied to the porous gunite surface to seal the pool.

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The completed pool.

The completed pool.

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Making a pool come true

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If you’ve dreamed of jumping into your very own backyard swimming pool when temperatures soar this summer, now’s the time to get your feet wet by considering your options.

You can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for an in-ground pool with a spa, waterfall and other options, but pool builders say a pleasing backyard pool can be had for less than $30,000. The average purchase price for a pool in the city is about $45,000.

Those who commit to buying a pool now may get a slight break on prices, because the height of the pool-building season hasn’t yet arrived.

At Keith Zars Pools Ltd., most buyers opt for a pool in the range of $35,000 to $45,000, said Parker Smith, vice president of sales and marketing.

“Typically you can get a little better price at this time of year and construction times are more advantageous,” Smith said.

Homeowners who wait until spring to buy a pool likely will face longer wait times because pool builders get busy.

The construction time to build a pool is usually six to eight weeks, said Leif Zars, owner of Gary Pools. Before construction begins, the homeowner must secure a permit to build, and if a neighborhood association is involved, it must approve the pool.

Getting financing is another step that takes a bit of time, so prospective buyers should expect some paperwork delays, Zars said.

Of course the cost of the pool depends upon the terrain. On San Antonio’s North Side, where much of the pool construction occurs, rocky soil can add to the cost.

“If you have a lot of rock excavation, that’s more costly than dirt excavation,” Zars said. Accessibility of the site also will influence the cost.

But the benefit to building in rocky soil or limestone is that “you have more stable ground to build on. That’s a positive,” said Zars. (Zars founded Gary Pools in 1954, and both his sons, Keith and Gary, own their own pool companies.)

Gary Zars, owner of Gary’s Pool & Patio, sells one-piece fiberglass pools that target a different market, concentrating on pools costing $20,000 to $35,000. Non-fiberglass pools are made with gunite, a concrete mix, and covered with plaster.

“We get a lot of first-time buyers,” Gary Zars said.

It’s a simple process to install a fiberglass pool, he said, taking just two weeks to install.

The interior finish of a one-piece fiberglass pool is nonporous. “Bacteria and algae can’t root in it, so it requires less chemicals and maintenance,” he said.

These days, financing a pool is getting easier than it was during the recession, said Pete Ordaz, owner of Pool Concepts by Pete Ordaz Inc. in Helotes.

“Now that the banks see that the recession has eased, credit is loosening up,” he said.

Homeowners who buy a pool shouldn’t assume that it will greatly boost the value of the house.

“Let’s say you’re spending $40,000 to $50,000 for a pool. You’ll never get the full cost out of it,” said Libby Ross, an agent at Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper Realtors in San Antonio.

Yet a pretty, well-maintained pool can make a difference when a homeowner is ready to sell, she said. Especially during spring and summer, “homes that feature a pool are in demand,” Ross said, “And buyers are willing to pay more for them.”

When a pool’s in the planning stages, it pays for the homeowner to work with the builder.

“It’s important to make sure the pool fits with the terrain and with the architecture of the homestead,” said Gary Pools’ Leif Zars. “You want it to be an integral part of the beauty and functionality of the home.”